Kate's Kisses (Sweet Treats Bakery) (4 page)

“Logan…last night was nice.” It had given them a little time to talk…and time for her to share when he asked about Grace’s rough night. His concern had warmed her. He’d always had a soft spot for her sisters. In a way, he was like the big brother they’d never had—except to her. To her, he’d been so much more. “But I don’t think…we shouldn’t…”

“Give me a chance, Katie.”

“You…had your chance.” She turned away as a lump suddenly filled her throat and tears burned her eyes. “You blew it, Logan.
We
blew it. Now…well, it’s just too late.”

“It’s not too late, Katie.”

“How do you know?”

“Because…I still love you.”

“You shouldn’t,” she choked. “Don’t say that.”

“Why not?”

“Because…” She stuffed a fist to her mouth to stifle a sob and felt as if her heart was shattering. “We’ll only get hurt again.”

****

Kate’s words echoed in Logan’s ears as he crossed the street to the building site. He was amazed by the progress the construction crew had made in just a few short days. At this rate, the library would be completed well before its scheduled target date of a Fourth-of-July dedication.

And then what? He’d gotten his architectural firm’s blessing to come supervise this project, because it was good PR for them. But when the library opened for business, he’d have to return to California—and leave Kate again.

He’d fought his parents tooth and nail to find someone else to spearhead the project. When they’d offered the work to him, he’d had no desire to return to Mount Ridge—and the memories of how he’d failed Kate.

She’d failed him, too—gone back on her word. They’d made a promise to each other to build a life together, and then her parents had died in that horrible crash, just weeks before the wedding. Kate was swept up in helping her sisters. Logan thought things would settle down, but as the wedding day approached, Kate told him there was no way she could leave Mount Ridge so soon after her parents’ death, and with Mattie’s plans for the bakery in full swing. What would happen to Tessa? Who would help Grace? And why should Mattie be left alone to shoulder all the responsibility of providing and caring for them?

On one level, Logan understood, but he’d secured a job in California—a good job, the job of his dreams—and he just couldn’t let the opportunity pass by. It might never come again, and he and Kate had agreed to relocate. It was what he’d worked for all his life…and what Kate had assured him she wanted.

But, in the end when Kate refused to leave, he’d gone anyway. There was no future for him in Mount Ridge—nothing but the monotony of small-town life…nothing but watching the days pass while he grew older. He didn’t want to live like that.

Or so he’d thought. Now…he wasn’t so sure. Something had changed, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. All he knew for sure was that he couldn’t leave Kate again—not like before. He’d have to figure something out—and fast.

****

“Do you ever regret it, Mattie, taking on so much responsibility after Mom and Dad…died?” Kate asked as she turned off the bakery shop lights.

“What brings this on?” Mattie gathered the bundle of soiled aprons and a few kitchen towels into a laundry bag to carry home to wash. Her sleek black hair was pulled back into a neat, sensible braid, and her eyes were shadowed with exhaustion. Kate remembered the days, before their parents’ death, when Mattie used to bubble with energy, her hair cascading in sable waves around her shoulders as she scurried from here to there, talking a mile a minute about all the wonderful things she planned to do with her future.

Now she just looked…tired. A litany of responsibilities weighed heavily.

Kate wondered if she looked so drained, too.

“I’ve just been thinking…” Kate unzipped her windbreaker and let the warm breeze rush against her as they began the short walk to Mattie’s house. Spring was blooming into full swing. The sweet scent of lilacs and wild onions danced on the air. “You sacrificed a lot for us.”

“You did, too.”

“Do you ever wish…I mean, do you ever think you’ll find someone special and settle down to have children of your own?”

“I don’t have time to look.” Mattie laughed, but her voice was dulled by a hint of sadness. “Besides, I’m nearly thirty. It’s almost too late for me.”

“Bite your tongue,” Kate scolded. “Don’t think that way.”

“It’s the truth.” Mattie insisted. “But you, Kate…well, you have a second chance with Logan. You should consider it…carefully.”

“I’m not sure what I should do.” Kate watched sunlight shimmer through the branches of maple trees that lined the street and danced in a warm breeze. “What if he hurts me again?”

“What if
you
hurt
him
?”

Kate lowered her gaze. “I…I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Well, it’s something to consider.” Mattie waggled a finger at her, same as their mother used to. “You can’t live your life being afraid, Kate. You know what Mom used to say.”

“I know. ‘Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’ Matthew 6:34…it was her favorite verse.”

“You remember.” Mattie’s dark eyes lost a bit of the shadow as she smiled.

“Yes…how could I forget?”

“Then live by it, Kate.” Mattie slung the sack of aprons over her shoulder as they started down the street. “Now, I’d like to talk about Tessa’s graduation. The date’s coming up in a few weeks. Would you like to help me plan a little celebration?”

“You bet.”

5

Kate hustled into the shop and flipped on the lights. She loved the familiar scent of cinnamon mingled with vanilla and chocolate, like a warm hug that greeted her when she entered Sweet Treats each morning.

She and her sisters had come to an easy agreement when they opened the bakery. Since Kate liked the early-morning hours, she opened the doors and got the ovens fired up with fresh muffins and bread selections. As the sun came up, Mattie would join her and pitch in to get the pastry cases filled and the coffee brewing. Then Grace arrived as soon as she dropped off Adam at preschool, and the three worked side by side serving customers and filling orders until Tessa arrived after school whenever she wasn’t involved in another activity. The system worked well, and the four managed to get through each day without too many squabbles.

Kate tossed the laundry bag of clean aprons onto the counter, then wiggled out of her jacket. She reached behind her to re-lock the entrance door, and then walked behind the counter to press the power button on the coffeemaker. A moment later, it belched and sputtered and the rich scent of hazelnut filled the room. She took a clean apron from the sack and slipped it on, then tucked an order pad and pen into the pocket.

Kate paused and sucked in a breath. She heard a loud
clunk
—not at all familiar—coming from the storage room above, followed by a
swoosh
that indicated water had been turned on up there. Someone was in the bathroom.

“Hello?” she called. Maybe Tessa was up there. She’d done that once. Not long after their parents died, she’d failed to come home and Mattie had found her bundled in a pile of kitchen towels on the floor of the storage room, where she’d cried herself to sleep. “Is anyone here? Tessa? Grace?”

When there was no reply, nerves made Kate’s heart skip and stutter. She grabbed the closest object, a metal umbrella urn near the front door, and approached the stairs. Fluorescent light cascaded from the room above as she tiptoed up the flight. She rounded the corner and lifted the urn above her head as she approached the doorway, prepared to throw it.

“Who’s there?”

A clatter ensued as a toolbox toppled and a collection of screwdrivers and wrenches tumbled to the floor.

“Katie?” Logan emerged from the alcove near the bathroom, an oversized wrench in one hand. “What are you doing here so early?”

“
Me
?” She heaved a sigh of relief and commanded her heart to stop galloping. She considered tossing the urn at him anyway for scaring the wits from her. “What am
I
doing here? I
work
here.”

“But it’s only four o’clock. You’re early, even by your standards.” He loped over to take the urn from her. He set it on the floor.

“I have extra orders to fill, so I thought I’d get a jump on it.” She lifted her chin in a defiant pout and gaped at him. “Logan, what are
you
doing here?”

“Putting in a little surprise for Mattie…and for you.”

Kate noticed the stackable washer and dryer combination tucked up against the back wall and gasped. The plumbing had been installed when the bakery was constructed, but they’d never gone ahead with the connection or the appliances themselves. That was still on the to-do list, along with several dozen other projects. The bakery was a work-in-progress. “But, Logan, how did you know?”

“I saw Mattie carrying the laundry bag yesterday and I know you haul the clean aprons back here every morning, so I thought…” He shrugged. “It’s nothing fancy, but it will get the job done
and
save your backs.”

“Oh, she’ll love it.
I
love it. But how did you get in here?”

“With a little help from Tessa. She gave me a key.”

“But why would you want to help us…help me?”

“Why not?” He shrugged. “It wasn’t hard. The plumbing was here. It just needed a little adjusting.”

“Mattie’s going to be…” She struggled with the words. “Oh, Logan, thank you.”

“No problem.” He wiped grease from his hands with a towel. “Were you really gonna bean me with that urn?”

“Yes…no…well, not
you
.” Her cheeks grew warm, and she knew a healthy blush had eased across her face. “I just thought…I heard a noise and I thought…”

“Wow, you’re still stubborn as I remember.” He shook his head, clearly exasperated. “Next time call the police—or me. You shouldn’t try to deal with situations like that on your own. It’s dangerous. If someone really had broken in here…” He didn’t bother to finish.

“I…you’re right.” She bent to help him gather tools that had spilled from the toolbox. “I was foolish.”

“No harm done.” He tossed a wrench into the box and gathered the screwdrivers and hammer that had tumbled out. “So what’s on the pastry menu for today?”

“Blueberry strudel, cinnamon apple bread, and two hundred of my soon-to-be-famous chocolate-cherry kisses—and that’s just what you ordered for the construction crew.”

“Sounds good.” His gaze found hers. “But I’d like to add one item.”

“OK. Name it.” Kate fumbled in her apron pocket for a pen and order pad.

“You won’t need that.” He took her hand.

“No?” She paused, and when she looked at him, her breath caught. “Logan…?”

“A kiss, Katie…and not of the chocolate variety,” he said. “Just one…for now.”

Kate’s head said no, but her heart still longed for him. She closed her eyes as the clean scent of him washed over her. His touch was gentle, and full of all the promise she remembered—and loved. As his arms encircled her, her mother’s voice echoed through her mind…

‘Don’t worry about tomorrow…’

****

“What do you think of this one?” Tessa asked as she exited the dressing room in a red sequined mini-dress.

“Too flashy and much too short.”

“You always say that.” Tessa spun before the mirror.

The dress exposed way too much, as far as Kate was concerned. “Because it
is
too short, and you’re going to be wearing it to your graduation,” Kate reiterated. “You have a beautiful figure, Tess, but you should save the show for someone…special.”

Tessa shrugged. “I don’t want someone special. He’ll just go away…or die in some freak accident.”

Kate sighed, because she knew Tessa meant every word. All through high school, the girl had turned down every date and chased away every boy who’d tried to get close to her. “Oh, Tess, don’t be so cynical.”

“I’ll be cynical if I want to.” She searched through the dresses she’d pulled off the rack. “I don’t think you’ll like any of these.”

“What about this one.” Kate took a bronze-colored linen sheath from the group. “It’s a pretty shade and it will really show off your hair—and eyes.”

“I guess it’s OK.” Tess fingered the ruched bodice. “I like the empire waist and I’ll bet these sandals I found will be a perfect match.”

“Try it on, then.”

Kate fidgeted while she waited for Tessa to reappear. The graduation was quickly approaching, and there was so much to do to get ready for the celebration she, Mattie, and Grace had planned. Spending a day dress-shopping was not on the schedule, yet she was glad for the time with Tessa.

The fitting room door swung open. “What do you think?”

Kate gasped. “It’s lovely. Just perfect. You look…beautiful.” Tears filled her eyes. “Oh, Tess.”